Challenge! Holm Bank vs athletes

It's time to find comfortable sneakers - Holm Bank's step-collecting month has begun! This year, the traditional collection of steps has a more competitive spirit with the opportunity to compare one's steps not only with colleagues but also with well-known athletes!

In May, Holm Bank holds its annual step competition, where all Holm employees interested in walking participate, whether they are from Haapsalu, Tallinn, Tartu, Riga, or home offices. At the end of the month, the steps will be counted, and the company's most enthusiastic walkers will be determined. On one hand, it's a competition like any other, but on the other hand, it's a personal challenge, a fight against one's own comfort zone. Together, it is easier; there is enthusiasm, and you get going. Exercise is one of the pillars of health; it makes your mind work faster, creates time to be with yourself, and also gives you the opportunity to explore forest trails with friends and family and discover new places. Walking is not necessarily just a sport or leisure activity; it is also a logistical, environmentally friendly means of getting from point A to point B.

Holm has always valued an active lifestyle and has long supported various athletes, their aspirations, and initiatives. This year, Holm will put itself to the test – can Holm employees gather as many steps as athletes!?

Holm presented a challenge to athletes with whom the company has a long-standing cooperation:

Nelli Differt, fencer, Estonia's best athlete at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Siim-Sander Vene, captain of the Estonian national basketball team and leader of Haapsalu Wasps (Herilased).

Edgar Leht, CEO of Tartu football club Welco and one of the founders of Tartu Holm Park.

Through these athletes, we also forwarded the invitation to the Wasps and the Welco team. A common goal looms ahead of us – to move more, to be healthier, and to be happier.

We asked both athletes and Holm representatives how big a role walking plays in their lives. How much does their favourite sport contribute to collecting steps? Could walking be a means of commuting, and what would be healthy and environmentally friendly alternatives to driving? Are there any fun experiences with walking?

Siim-Sander Vene: "I would rather say that walking plays a rather big role for me. Especially in the summer, when the training load is smaller. Then I try to move as much as possible on foot and complete my steps during the day. Walking also helps to get the blood circulating a little faster after hard workouts and to recover better when the muscles are stiff. 

In basketball, there are quite a lot of steps, but generally, all gadgets are taken away during training and competitions. So, the steps taken during training are not counted, at least not for me. It's just a bonus for health.

Especially in the summer, I try to walk as much as possible and complete my steps during the day. Most of the chores can be done nicely by using a bicycle/scooter service or sometimes public transport for longer distances. I can do quite a lot by walking, and in nice weather, it's also quite pleasant. Sometimes great things happen during walks; you see a squirrel somewhere in the park, or you run into someone you haven't seen for who knows how long. Walking also reveals the most new places that are open or, conversely, closed. In my opinion, walking, especially in the city, reminds you how to take pedestrians into account as a driver. At times, there are situations where the driver almost drives over your toes, which is a reminder that you don’t want to be like that yourself when behind the wheel. Indeed, when driving myself, I capture the sight of pedestrians much better."

Nelli Differt:

"Walking plays a very big role in my life. Since I live in small Haapsalu, it would be almost a sin to drive there. I really like morning walks that help my body and mind wake up.

My favourite sport - fencing is a sport with quite a lot of steps. On a long competition day, I usually go through more than 20,000 steps. When at home or travelling, walking is my primary way of commuting. However, a bicycle can also be a healthy and environmentally friendly alternative.

Thinking back, I remember a camp in Sochi years ago, I wanted to go to the city on our day off. From the map, it seemed that the city was not far and we decided to walk despite the light rain. Unfortunately, the rain got heavier and heavier, yet as stubborn Estonians, we did not give up on our idea. When we got back, even our underwear was soaking wet."

Edgar Leht:

"90 minutes of playing football means covering an average of 7-11 km. This adds up to quite a lot of steps, and footballers collect them also in their daily training. Personally, I have played less football while running the club, but luckily I have a dog who is a full member of our club's office and he makes me walk each day. In addition, activities at the stadium help to collect steps. For example, I checked my phone and saw that during the Holm Park spring community volunteer day, I gathered nearly 30,000 steps, which is a pretty good result. Since my home is located a few kilometers from Holm Park, our club's home stadium, I have sometimes walked to work in nice weather, but this requires planning the day so that I don't need to use a car. It could certainly be done more often. In nice weather, I often use an electric scooter to get around, it's quite fun to move around in the summer."

Kaspar Kalvet, CEO of Holm Bank:

"Exercise plays an important role in my life, although I could and always would like to do more. The nature of my daily work and sometimes the length of the working days do not always help in collecting steps. Still, I sometimes find an opportunity for some extra steps from a short jog or a bike ride. On nice days, it's also enjoyable to use the bike for commuting to work."

Rostislavs Kolosovs, Chief Financial Officer of Holm Bank Latvia, winner of the 2023 Holm Step Competition:

"Since I work in an office, I sit at my desk all day. Therefore, walking is a good way to add a little movement to my life after work and get some fresh air. Since my favourite hobby is going to the gym, I collect steps mainly during a treadmill warm-up.

In general, I agree that walking can be a means of commuting, but since it takes quite a bit of time, it makes sense to find a way to combine walking with your daily chores.

When I'm walking, I'm listening to music or podcasts on my headphones, so the most fun part of walking is avoiding collisions with Bolt/Wolt couriers when they're speeding around on their bikes."

Gerda Mander, Customer Support Specialist at Holm Bank, winner of the 2024 Holm Step Competition:

"Walking plays a big role in my life. Haapsalu is a small enough town to make all the movements on foot. Going to places on foot helps to collect steps, but in addition, separate laps at a faster pace are also useful. The Paralepa Health Trail or touring the town are a great match for this. You can always find a sea border where you can hear birds screeching and enjoy the roar of the sea as you walk. My legs are my main means of transport, but a bicycle is also a trusty companion. Since I don't own a car, it's easy to get around in an environmentally friendly way. There is no temptation to take the easy way. There is nothing really exciting happening on the walking circles. Talking to yourself helps to clarify thoughts. The most extreme case, where I actually had to turn around and go back home, was when a seagull "blessed" me properly. I smiled all the way home."

And now, let’s gather some steps!